Áššu, an ensemble featuring renowned Finnish folk musician Ulla Pirttijärvi, brings the guttural Sámi singing tradition into the present with heart and soul. The name Áššu translates to "embers", symbolizing the glowing warmth of their music.

Many of the songs on the new album Luohtenlegut came to Ulla in dreams: joiks of animals, nature, cold winds, friends, and relatives. In Sámi culture, there is a deeply rooted connection to the fundamental elements of life. In the small northern Finnish Sámi village of Angeli, where Ulla grew up, reindeer herding is a traditional way of life. Encounters with animals in their natural surroundings are an integral part of Ulla’s family life. Animals and nature hold a special place in the traditional stories and spiritual beliefs of the Sámi. This presence of nature, animals, and people in a collage of reality, dreams, and humor forms the essence of Luohtenlegut.
“The joiks are not songs about something; the joik is the subject itself,” Ulla Pirttijärvi explains. For her, the appearance of a lynx or a bear in a dream or a joik is very real.

Ulla made it clear in an earlier interview with Nordische Musik that a joik is far more than just a simple song:

“A joik is part of our shamanic belief system. It’s important to understand that you don’t joik about something—you joik the thing itself, making it present. The fresh snow comes with the joik, or a specific bird sits before you—not necessarily in reality, but as an entity. You don’t sing a love story in a few verses; instead, you express the feeling of love. A joik doesn’t have lengthy lyrics, and it can even exist without words—just the sound of the voice. A joik comes when it wants to come. For instance, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I went fishing, caught a fine salmon, and felt incredibly happy. That’s when the joik came—from the salmon, from me, from my daughter. A joik isn’t just a little song; it’s a crucial element of the group’s social fabric. When a child is born, the parents create a joik for the child, giving them a place within the community, just as they are given a name.”

On Luohtenlegut, Ulla is joined by some of her closest musical companions, including her brother Keijo, a reindeer herder, and her musician colleague Ursula, a close relative with whom Ulla explored the wilderness as a child. Guest musician Hildegunn Øiseth also features on the album, playing the goat horn on five tracks.
Ulla has been an active figure in the Sámi music scene for many years, previously a member of the trio Angelin Tytöt. In 2014, she and her daughter Hildá Länsman founded the band Solju. Áššu's self-titled debut album, released in 2019, received the prestigious German Record Critics' Award.

ÁŠŠU members include:
Ulla Pirttijärvi: Joik
Kenneth Ekornes: Percussion
Olav Torget: Guitar, konting (N’Goni), electronic sounds, and vocals.